Clamping device



April 1935. L. c. WARAGER 1,996,447

CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Feb. 2, 1954 INVENTOR.

Z aonara/ C. Wara7er;

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATES CLAMPING' DEVICE I Leonard Charles Waragei', Floral Park, N. Y

assignor to Chester Libret't, New 'Rochell Application February 2, 1934, Serial'No. 709,494

V 6 Claims. o1 24 261 The invention relates to clamping devices and more particularly to such devices formed from wire. It has for its main object to provide a device in which the article to be clamped may be 5 inserted with the aid of one hand only and by a slight pull on the article itself and still be held securely without any danger of accidental displacement.

Another object is to so construct the device that 10 it may be suspended from or attached to various objects so as to serve various uses. r

A further object is to provide a clamping device of simple construction, which will occupy but small space when stored away, which will not in- 15 jure the article clamped in it, and which can be manufactured and sold at a very low price.

This and various other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawing of preferred embodiments of the invention in which, however, modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a clamping device made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 a side view of same,

Fig. 3 a front view of same showing a certain step in the process of manufacture,

Fig. 4 a front elevation of a slightly modified clamp,

Fig. 5 a side view of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 another modification of the clamp,

Fig. 7 a side view of Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 a top view of Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the clamping device is preferably made from a single piece of wire which is bent on itself half way between the ends and the bend end shaped into a hook ID.

The doubled wire is next bent on an angle as shown at l I and immediate below this angle the individual wires are bent sidewardly in opposite directions to form a finger opening l2. Below this opening the wires run parallel and abut each other. These parts of the wires constitute the clamping parts when an article is inserted in the space l3 between them. The extreme ends of the wire are formed into eyes 14 and fastened 50 together by means of a rivet or eyelet l5.

The device just described is particularly well adapted to take the place of the clothes pin now commonly used for suspending laundry from a clothes line. The hook I is passed over the clothes line [6 and a small portion ll, of a piece of laundry I 8, ispassed through the opening l2 with one 'finger-ofthe hand; after which a slight downward pull is exerted upon the piece of laundry by the same hand. 'This clampsthe portion iii-securely between the wires as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2. To remove the article from the clamp it is only necessaryto pull it upwardly until the portion I6 can be drawn through =theopening l2.

Referring now to Fig. 3,- the wire is preferably shaped as shown in this view, prior to the insertion of the eyelet [5, so *that'theends have to be forced together against the normal spring tension in the 'wire and so thatthe clamping surfaces will hold the article clamped between them, 15

not only by the inherent resiliency in the wire, but by the'additional resiliency addedby forcing the endstogether as described.

' Referring now-to Figs. 4 and 5 the construction of the embodiment shown'in these views'is similar in all respects to the device just described, 'except that aneye"l9 has' been formed'in place of the hook I. "By means of a'screw'inserted through this eye the device may be secured on any vertical surface, such as shown in broken lines at 20.

Referring now to Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In this embodiment the extreme ends of the wire are not fastened together as in the other embodiments, but are formed into eyes 2| and 22 so that the whole device may be secured to a vertical surface by means of screws inserted through these eyes and the eye 19. It will be noted that with this embodiment, not only can an article be inserted by a downward pull, after a part of it has been inserted through the opening l2, but it can also be removed by a further downward pull. Likewise an article, such as a show card for example, may be inserted in this device with part of the card extending below the end of the device. i

From the foregoing it will be seen that this device is extremely simple in its construction, effective in its operation and that it will lend itself to numerous uses.

Having described my invention and its objects, what I claim is new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A clamping device of the class described comprising a resilient wire bent upon itself half way 0 between its ends, a hook formed on the bend end from which the device may be suspended, the individual wires bent sidewardly in opposite directions same distance below said hook to form an opening through which part of an article may 55 be inserted, the extreme ends of the wires fastened together, and the part of the individual wires between the said opening and the extreme ends held parallel to each other so that the part of the article inserted in the said opening will be clamped by the wires when pulled down between them.

2. A clamping device of the class described comprising a resilient wire bent upon itself half way'between its ends, a hoodformed onthe'bend end from which the device may be suspended, the individual wires bent sidewardly in opposite directions same distance below said hook to form an I opening through which part of an article may be inserted, the extreme ends of 'the wires fas-' tened together, the part o'ttheindivi'dual wires between the said opening and the extreme ends held parallel to each other that thepartof the article inserted in the said opening will be clamped by the wires when pulled down between them, and a bend formed the device between the hook and the opening topreventthe clamping part from hanging. perpendicularly when the device is suspended from the hook. i l

3. A clamping device of the class described comprising a resilient wire bentupon'itself half way between its ends, an eye formed in the bend by means of which the device-,may be secured to a support,.the individual wires bent sidewardly in opposite directions same distance below said hook to form an opening through which part of an article may be inserted, the extreme ends of the wires fastened together, the part of the individualuwires between the said opening and the extreme. ends heldparallel to each other so that the part of the article inserted in the said opening will be clampedby the wires. when pulled down between them, anda bend formedin the device between the hook and the opening to project the clamping part fromthe support to which the device may-be secured r s 4. A clamping device of the class described comprising a resilient wire bent upon itself half way between its ends, the individual wires bent sidewardly in opposite directions immediately below said bend to form an opening throughwhich part of an article may be inserted, the ends of the individual wires bent rearwardly and sidewardly, the extreme ends of the wires formed into eyes, the part of the individual wires between the opening and the bend part at the end of the wire held parallel to each otherso that the part of the article inserted in the said opening will be clamped by the wires when pulled down between them, and the eyes forming means by which the device may be secured to a support.

5. A clamping device of the class described comprising a resilient wire bent upon itself half way between its ends, an eye formed in the bend, the individual wires bent sidewardly in opposite direction immediately. below said bend to form an opening through which part of an article may be inserted, the ends of the individual wires bent rearwardly and sidewardly, the extreme ends of the wire formed into eyes, the part of the individ ual wires between the said opening and the'said bend held parallel to eachother so that the'part of the article inserted in said opening will be clamped by the wires when pulled down between them, and all of the eyes forming means by which the device may be secured to a support.

6. A clamping device of the class described comprising a resilient wire bent upon itself half way between its ends, the individual wires bent 'sidewardly in opposite directions some distance below said bend to form an opening through which part of an article may beinserted, the part of the individual wires below the said opening held parallel to each other so that the part of the article inserted in the said opening will be clamped by the wires when pulled down between them, means for'restraining the parallel part of .the wires from separating at their lower ends, and means for-suspending the device in a substantially vertical position.

LEONARD CHARLES WARAGER. 

